


Playing Favourites

by AtropaAzraelle (Polyoxyethylene)



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Baking, Gen, Hints of Gladnis, Ignis fluff week day 3, Recipes, favourite foods
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-13
Updated: 2017-12-13
Packaged: 2019-02-14 08:52:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13004193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Polyoxyethylene/pseuds/AtropaAzraelle
Summary: Gladio likes watching Ignis decide what to make for dinner.Day 3 of Ignis Fluff Week. Prompt: Baking vs. Cooking.





	Playing Favourites

**Author's Note:**

> Late again, but I've only got one more I'm behind on writing now.

Gladio watched Ignis at his workstation, lost so deeply in thought it was practically meditation. It was always a joy to watch Ignis run through recipes in his head. He got lost in some mental happy place, and Gladio imagined him flipping through some mental notebook, comparing his ingredients to his recipes and seeing what he could make. He'd narrow it down to the ones he had ingredients for, and from there, down to what he wanted to make.

Or what they wanted to make. Gladio had caught him making notes in his little book every time he'd tried a new recipe on them, and the ones that had got the most favourable reactions showed up the most.

Well, usually, anyway. There was the bean soup recipe that Ignis would sometimes bust out even though Noct always wrinkled his nose at it, and there had been that one tofu recipe that Prompto wouldn't even taste that Gladio suspected was kept in reserve for in case he ever had a bone to pick with the rest of them.

It hadn't been too bad, when Gladio had braved the smell enough to get it to his tongue. Gladio was always most fond of things on sticks, proper camping food that you could roast over the fire. Fresh fish, skewered and flame grilled, or breaded cuts of meat fried so the outside was crisp and the inside tender. Iggy was an amazing cook; he could do things with stuff he picked up off the ground that would make professional chefs weep to taste them.

Ignis gave his telltale fingersnap of enlightenment, and Gladio grinned, turning his attention back to his hammering of tent pegs. He hoped it would be the prairie skewers again; they were quick, and simple, and one of Gladio's favourites. He didn't think Noct had got on Iggy's wick enough to have earned bean soup today, anyway.

An hour later the kids were engrossed in a game of King's Knight, and Gladio sauntered over to push a coffee at Iggy. He'd learned long ago exactly how Ignis liked it done, although for all Iggy pretended to be a coffee snob he was still perfectly happy to drink his favourite brand straight from a can. Nothing quite beat a hot cuppa though, in Iggy's words, and Gladio set the mug down, and peered at what he was doing.

“Cake?” he asked, looking at the smooth batter.

Ignis pushed his glasses up his nose, putting a smudge of flour there in the process. “I wanted to try something,” he said.

“You're letting Noct have cake for dinner?” Gladio pushed, giving Ignis a critical look. He poked Ignis in the shoulder with one finger, and gave a grunt. “Nope, this doesn't seem to be your dead body.”

Ignis sighed through his nose and looked at him, and then looked away. There was something off about the way he did it. It almost looked as if Ignis was hiding something. “I wanted to try some baking, for a change,” he said.

Gladio folded his arms and shifted his weight, cocking his head to give Ignis a long, patient look. It had always worked in the past when he wanted more of an answer from Iggy than the one he'd given. Ignis glanced at him again, catching sight of Gladio's look, and stance, and then Gladio counted, waiting for the sigh.

It came after two. “And if you must know, it's something I miss.”

“What is it?” Gladio asked, looking down at the cake batter. He was tempted to dip a finger in and taste it, but Iggy was quick and his knives were sharp, and it'd suck to try wielding his greatsword tomorrow minus a finger.

“Fluffy Chiffon Cake,” Ignis answered, softly. “It was my favourite, back home. I hope I can do it justice.”

Gladio felt the awkwardness of Iggy's confession radiate off him. Iggy had a sweet tooth, a well hidden one, but he had it nonetheless. Gladio already knew about it, or he suspected Iggy would have deflected with something about challenging himself instead. He reached forward and placed his hand on Iggy's shoulder, squeezing it gently with his fingers. “If anyone can, it's you.”

Ignis turned to look at him again and gave a short nod. “Thank you for the vote of confidence.”

“Any time, Iggy.”


End file.
